Berlin – Checkpoint Charlie
Checkpoint Charlie was an American border crossing between West and East Berlin. East Germans called it Grenzubergangsstelle Friedrich-/Zimmerstrasse.
Current status: Preserved with museum (2006).
Address: Friedrichstrasse 43, 10969 Berlin.
Get there: Metro to Kochstrasse Station.
Follow up in books: Taylor, Frederick: The Berlin Wall (2006).
Checkpoint Charlie is a clear example what can happen when commercial forces push back historical value. The attraction of the Berlin Wall has really been minted here, and it has become a major tourist attraction on par with the Eiffel tower in Paris and the Statue of Liberty in New York. Checkpoint Charlie is one of Berlin’s most visited places with a large influx of tourists from all parts of the world. There are a plethora of souvenirs to buy, ranging from Soviet gas masks to pieces of the Berlin Wall.